While Albert Pujols will never be the athlete he once was, he can still slug with the best of them. While he has not shown it over the past few years in Anaheim, 2018 has been good for The Machine.
For the first time in two years, Pujols was able to work out and condition during the offseason rather than walking around in a boot. He used the time wisely, dropping nearly 15 pounds in order to play more games at first base this season. Pujols’ ability to do this made it much easier for the Angels to convince Shohei Ohtani he belongs in Anaheim, and Pujols’ contributions don’t end there.